Sitka Coho Salmon

Here we are in the middle of the Midwest yet we are sourcing some of the best wild Alaskan salmon available to anyone.

We are incredibly fortunate to have Sitka Salmon located in our community based just west of Peoria in Galesburg, IL.  This company is the very definition of sustainable small scale fishing.   Sitka works directly with fishing families willing to do it right, respect the environment and support, not exploit, the Alaskan salmon population.  Every time we sit down and enjoy a piece of Sitka’s salmon, we literally thank, out loud, the men, women and kids who work hard to provide us with such a delicious meal.  This is one of the most precious and unique products we carry here at the farm and we’re so very proud to have Sitka Salmon present in our store.

We carry one species of Sitka salmon – Coho.   Besides King salmon, the most buttery & fattiest of the salmon species, Coho is next in line in terms of fat content.  You want the fat for flavor and to prevent the fish from drying out when cooking.    While King is an absolutely delicious piece of fish, Coho is also incredibly tasty and comes in at a more affordable price.

We’re asked fairly often how we cook our salmon.  Below is our standard, no frills cooking instructions for a piece of Coho.

Rub thawed piece of salmon on both sides with good olive oil.  Season both sides with salt, freshly ground pepper and organic garlic granules (fine but not as fine as garlic powder which can be clumpy when wet) on both sides.  This is our standard seasoning for every piece of chicken, pork, beef, and salmon we cook even if we add additional flavor.

We heat our best cast iron skillet until hot and then add a high heat safe fat like organic coconut oil or our own organic lard.  Don’t let the fat smoke.  We place the fish flesh side down first and cook 3-4 minutes.  It often sticks just a little bit so with the thinnest sharpest metal spatula you have, flip the salmon.   Cook another 3-4 minutes on the second side.   This gives us a medium rare piece.    It is very easy to overcook a piece of salmon so if you prefer a piece more done, remove from heat, place lid on pan and check every 3 -4 minutes for doneness.    The residual heat from the skillet will easily finish the piece.

Finished salmon can be brushed with a simple herbed butter infused with crushed garlic.   Just heat a couple tablespoons of butter along with smashed garlic (use mortar and pestle) and any fresh or dried herb of your choice.

In the years since we’ve carried Sitka Salmon, there has been plenty of positive feedback on the quality of the fish.   The comment that has stuck with us the most comes from a native Alaskan living here in Illinois for many years.   Upon trying the Sitka Coho, he declared he’d finally found a product that tasted like home.   What more do you need?